PRACHUAP KHIRI KHAN ― Clashes broke out between riot police and rubber farmers who tried to block Petchkasem Road in Ban Sang district Thursday evening, leaving many injured from acid and ping-pong bomb attacks, including the chief of the provincial police.
Riot police form a barricade to prevent protesters from blocking the removal of tyre barricades. (Photo courtesy of Samakhom Kon Khao rescue workers network)
About 10 people including the commander of Prachuap Khiri Khan police were injured in the confrontations in Bang Saphan district.
The first clash, which lasted about 40 minutes, began at 6pm when 1,000 angry protesters tried to close both inbound and outbound lanes of Petchkasem Road, the only major highway to the South, at the 412–413 kilometre markers with 50 tractor and car tyres.
- Stalemate on the roads: No quick solution likely
Police appealed to the demonstrators not to block the traffic, telling them it was illegal. The farmers ignored the appeal, and riot police moved to disperse them.
The clash, which involved pushing and jostling, lasted about 40 minutes before the farmers retreated to a side of the road.
Famers threw acid used in rubber production at the police, injuring many, including Pol Maj Gen Thanet Sunthorasuk, chief of Prachuap Khiri Khan, who sustained abdominal injuries.
Confrontations and chaos continued intermittently into the night, with explosions from giant firecrackers heard occasionally. Teenage protesters broke from the main crowd of farmers, hurling ping pong bombs and firing objects from slingshots at police. Some reports said five farmers and 12 police were hurt during this stage of the unrest.
At least 11 protesters were arrested, including two farm leaders, Chamrong Srithongkorn and Kasem Boonchana. They were charged with hurling giant firecrackers and glass bottles at officers.
At 9pm Thursday (1400 GMT), about 3,000 protesters surrounded the police and members of the press. Leaders of the group addressed the crowd, condemning authorities for using force against them. They vowed not to disperse until the government sent representatives to talk to them and released their detained leaders.
There were reports that riot police fired tear gas at the protesters, but Deputy Prime Minister and Agriculture and Cooperatives Minister Yukol Limlamthong denied it.
Meanwhile, the government Thursday set up another committee to try to solve the rubber price standoff.
Finance Minister Kittiratt Na-Ranong said Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra had assigned her deputy, Pracha Promnok, to head the committee.
The panel will today head to Nakhon Si Thammarat to hold talks with the protest leaders.
Mr Kittiratt said the national rubber committee turned down the rubber farmers' proposal for a guaranteed price of 100 baht/kg for rubber sheet and stood firm on the proposed subsidy of 1,260 baht per rai of plantation land.
However, Mr Kittiratt said the cabinet would also be asked to raise the subsidy cap from a maximum of 10 rai to 25 rai per farmer.
The proposal, which would require a budget of 10 billion baht, was likely to be submitted for cabinet approval in two weeks, he said.
Rubber farmers try to block inbound and outbound lanes of Petchkasem Road and were forcibly pushed back by police. (Photos courtesy of Samakhom Kon Khao rescue workers network)
An injured police officer is treated by medical personnel as his colleagues try to console him. At least five farmers and 12 police officers were injured during the protest when acid, ping-pong bombs and stones were hurled.
